


To Protect and Heal

by hopelesslyhopeful7211



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Non-Graphic Violence, if Emma found Regina in 2.21, protective!Emma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 17:37:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7232134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelesslyhopeful7211/pseuds/hopelesslyhopeful7211
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma races against the clock to find Regina in the Cannery. Once she finds her, she vows to be there for her while she recovers even if she must recover herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Protect and Heal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Val_Creative](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Val_Creative/gifts).



> Hi! I'm posting here for the first time (usually post on FF, but it's down right now and I wanted to get this out today), so I'm sorry for any overlooked formatting issues. Also any mistakes are my own. 
> 
> Big thank you to my friend, Rie, for the prompt! I hope you have a happy birthday!
> 
> Alright, I think that's about it, so I hope everyone enjoys and let me know what you think!

Emma presses forward through the hallways of the cannery. Her gun and flashlight lead the way ready to face anyone else that tries to stop her from her objective: stopping these bastards that think they can “destroy magic” or whatever the hell they want. Tamara (how does she even know if that’s her real name?) tried to stop her and well, a tingly feeling shoots through her spine and she shivers recalling their brutal fight just moments before, she’s not messing around here. All she knows is that they have Regina and she can’t stop until she finds her.

She’d sent David and Mary Margaret the other way. Mostly because they could cover more ground in here, but, if she’s being completely honest, also because she just needs to do this on her own. Facing Neal and Tamara. Her parents (she still can’t get over that fact), would just distract her. How could she possibly focus on what she needs to do if she has to also protect them? It’s just not practical. 

She curses under her breath as she feels a mixture of blood and sweat slowly stream down her forehead and nearly into her left eye. Not to mention her heart is racing at what seems like a million miles a minute and she’s just trying to keep her cool even though her life is pretty much in complete chaos right now, goddamnit. She just doesn’t want to deal with all of this, for the lack of a better word, shit. She doesn’t want to deal with “villains”. She just wants her son and her family to be okay and that can’t happen when there’s random maniacs running around town trying to ruin everything. Especially one that pistol whips her in the head. 

She takes in a deep breath and sighs as she rounds another corner. The coast appears to be clear. She tries so hard, but can’t stop replaying her last confrontation over and over and over in her head.

_Emma enters a large room, but is caught off guard. Her vision flashes and she falls to the ground clutching her head._

_She opens her eyes to find a gun pointed in her face. Her ex’s fiancé holds it grinning wildly. She wants to get up and punch her in the face and then run and run and run until she can’t any longer, but that doesn’t seem to be the best option if she values her life._

_Instead she asks, “Why’re you doing this?”_

_“Magic is a poison, Emma. How could you not understand that?”_

_“This isn’t the right way”_

_The other woman chuckles, “We’ll see about that”._

_She stalks forward. The gun inching closer and closer, but a man’s voice rings out, “Tamara, what’re you doing?”_

_Emma exclaims, “Neal?” while Tamara turns and begins to walk towards him with that overbearing smirk still on her face._

_Neal steps forward and a single shot rings out. He clutches his wounded shoulder and Emma jumps into action tackling the woman to the ground. She fumbles with her gun and pushes it into Tamara’s stomach, but she smacks it away gliding across the ground several feet. The blonde scrambles to get to her weapon first, but there is no race to be had. Tamara throws a magic bean onto the ground and a large portal opens. She lunges and tries to grab them, take a shot, anything, but they vanish into thin air._

She forces herself to stop thinking about it there. There’s no use going over what she could’ve done differently again. 

She’s beginning to believe the search is hopeless when she finally hears a voice. 

“Regina, this is your last chance. Tell me where my father is” 

Emma presses herself against the wall and crouches behind a large barrel concealing herself while still being able to see what’s going on. Her heart falls into her stomach and she almost gasps when she sees her son’s other mother strapped down on a table with this man towering over her. Her anger builds. She can’t fucking believe this. 

Regina raises herself up as much as she can while being strapped down and channels the evil queen in her tone of voice, “I already told you, so do your worst”. 

“Oh, I will,” he turns around to turn the juice up on the machine when a shot rings out. The man yells and falls to the ground grabbing his leg, but not before he successfully turns on the machine. Regina seizes as the shock waves pulse through her body. The excruciating pain causing her back to arch in an unnatural angle. 

Emma bolts forward firing the remaining bullets into the machine until it’s smoking and seems like it’s on the verge of blowing up. The violent currents of electricity stop and Regina falls still back onto the table. Emma sprints the rest of the way to the other woman calling out, “Regina! Regina!”, but there’s no response. She does her best to choke back tears as she quickly examines her for external injuries. She brushes strands of brunette hair out of her face. She just desperately wants her to wake up and be okay. When she sees no visible wounds she rips off all the wires connected to her body, walkies her parents to meet her outside the doors of the basement, and lifts her into her arms. 

The blonde whispers, “I got you, Regina. Everything will be okay”. She doesn’t know if she’s saying it to reassure Regina or herself. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Tears sting in her eyes as she follows beside Regina’s stretcher as the hospital crew races her down the halls. She finds herself desperately wanting to reach out to the usually so strong and confident brunette. The woman who’s a master of magic. The woman that’s a pretty damn good mayor. The women who’s a pain in her ass (okay, challenges her). The woman that raised her son. Their son. But she lies there unconscious now and the blonde can’t help but feel so angry and helpless. She notices blood stains on the brunette’s blouse. They must be from her head wound during the rescue and Regina would be furious. She can almost imagine the confrontation now: “Miss Swan, why on Earth did you feel the need to pick me up while blood streams out of your head? Do you realize…”. 

David puts a hand on her shoulder. She can already see it in his eyes that he’s about to tell her exactly what she doesn’t want to hear, “Emma, Dr. Whale has to check you in too. You got hit in the head pretty hard back there”. 

Emma takes in a deep breath, stands up tall, puts on her best face, and tries to completely ignore the taste of metal in her mouth, “That’s not necessary. I’m totally fine”. She sees Dr. Whale down the hall pushing a wheelchair towards her. 

He sighs, “I get that, Emma, I really do, but you need to take care of yourself". 

Emma squares up as Dr. Whale now stands beside her father. Her eyes dart from her father’s annoyingly loving blue eyes, to Dr. Whale’s, and then the door Regina had been taken through. She bolts towards the door, but doesn’t get far before she feels light headed and two sets of arms wrap around her. 

Emma frantically screams “No! No! I said I’m fine,” David and Dr. Whale continue pulling her back as she kicks and scratches and sobs, “Goddamnit! I promised Henry I wouldn’t let anything happen to her! Please, no!” 

She feels the quick sting of a pin prick and soon her eyes become heavy, extremely heavy. Her legs go out from under her as her father catches her. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

She slowly regains consciousness. Her usually bright green eyes flutter open and she immediately feels like she’s been hit by a truck. Her head pounds and she feels bruises on her arms and torso that weren’t there earlier. She looks around the room and her unfamiliar surroundings start to fall into place as she remembers the events from earlier in the day. The plain white walls, the overtly sterile scent, and, of course, the completely eerie feeling. Yeah, this is the hospital. 

“Mom, you’re okay! Grandpa, Grandma, look!” Henry exclaims furiously shaking David and Mary Margaret awake. They all embrace the blonde lying on the bed and release a barrage of get well gifts and stories from telling her of how worried they all were to what happened to Greg (he apparently needed surgery and is now in recovery) and finally that they’re so sorry for what happened to Neal. She’s overwhelmed trying to respond to every comment from each of her family members. She just never imagined she’d have this. Family. 

She realizes the whole gang’s here, but that means… 

“Where’s Regina? Who’s with her?” 

Snow brushes away a loose strand of blonde hair, “She’s just in the other room,” she picks up on her daughter’s worried expression and adds, "she’s okay. She’s recovering”. 

“We should go see her,” Emma says as she starts to sit up on her elbows, but her head pounds like she has her own personal construction worker jackhammer-ing away in there. 

She slowly brings herself back down already feeling the hot tears pool in her eyes. She hates feeling like this. Helpless. 

Henry stands up as tall as he can with a brave face, “You should rest. We can go visit Mom again for you” 

Emma looks at their son and can’t help but notice how much of Regina shines through in him. So diplomatic, strong, and smart. She’s so glad he had a wonderful mother to raise him. Because, hell, if she took on that responsibility on her own then he probably would’ve turned out a complete disaster just like her life was back then. 

Emma grins and ruffles his hair, “Since when did you grow up so fast?” 

“Since bad things keep happening,” he states point blank. 

She frowns at his response. He has her bluntness too. 

After several minutes she starts to doze off again. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few hours have passed and Emma’s eyes slowly open again. She looks around the room and this time it’s empty. Her family must’ve had to take Henry home or something. The room’s dark aside from the white light shining through the crack under the door and glowing red numbers from the clock on the bedside table. She finds that it’s well into the middle of the night. She takes a couple deep breaths before trying to sit up again. This time the previously severe pounding has been diminished to a dull, constant pain. Much more manageable. 

She hears footsteps outside her door and sees the shadows of nurses as they walk by. They must be watching the floor and probably won’t be back around for a while, so maybe they won’t see her if she goes to check on Regina next door. Just really quick. 

She swings her legs over the side of the bed, gently takes out her I.V., and stands up taking a couple of clumsy steps. She feels sore all over in new places and takes a moment to gather herself. You can do this. You can fucking do this. She makes it to the door and opens it as slowly as possible in an attempt to not bring attention to herself. She pokes her head out and doesn’t see anyone either way down the long hallway. Now is her chance. Her mother didn’t say which room Regina is in, but first she tries to her left. 

Emma mutters “shit” under her breath as the door squeaks open. She peeks into the room and creeps inside closing the door back behind her. She carefully steps towards the bed. Please be her. Please be her. She sighs in relief as she recognizes the brunette woman lying on the bed in front of her. However, she’s saddened to see her like this. Normally she sees her in her larger than life mayoral outfits and enjoys to banter and get on each other’s nerves, but right now she’s resting and practically swimming in a hospital gown.  
Emma puts a hand on the bed to keep herself steady and whispers, “I’m so sorry, Regina. I should’ve found you sooner”. 

No response, only Regina’s light breathing. 

Emma looks around. There’s no flowers or stacks of get well cards like in her room. There’s only a single card. She opens it and it’s just a standard get well soon card, but it’s signed by their son. It will mean the world to her when she wakes up and sees it. Emma thinks about signing too, but doesn’t want to ruin it. 

Emma yawns and decides to take a seat in a nearby chair. Just for a few minutes and then she has to get back to her room before someone notices. A few minutes pass and she drifts off. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Emma wakes up to a commotion of sorts and immediately panics. Sunlight shines in through the window. Shit, she’s been here much longer than she anticipated. She hears her father’s voice out in the hallway arguing with Dr. Whale. Well, they definitely noticed. She stands up and sees Regina’s face clearly for the first time since she found her the day before. She looks peaceful while she’s sleeping. She thinks of the past few days Regina’s had and fuck, she’s been through a lot physically. Stopping the trigger together and then being tortured. No one deserves that. Ever. 

There’s still red marks on her temples where Greg had wired her up. She’s flooded with anger just thinking about the bastard. She wishes that she knew how to use magic properly because she wants to help heal her…for Henry. 

She steps closer and extends her hand near one of Regina’s injuries, but doesn’t want to hurt her. Suddenly a stream of light magic leaves her hand and the red mark becomes lighter. She’s doing it! She remembers that magic is emotion. She guesses she’s feeling something here.

Before she can analyze further, the door swings open and a nurse walks in with a clipboard. She shrieks when she sees Emma standing over Regina and bolts out of the room yelling for Dr. Whale to come quick. 

Emma immediately stops healing, but it looks way better than before. These doctors need her help! She walks to the front of the bed with her arms out in surrender as Dr. Whale and her father enter the room. 

David runs to his daughter to make sure she’s okay while Dr. Whale questions from the other side of the room, “I understand having issues with the Evil Queen, but what are you doing to my patient?” 

They don’t notice, but Regina wakes from the shouting. She’s highly confused, but she decides that she’ll let whatever is happening continue before she stops them. 

Emma retorts, “I’m helping her!" 

Regina raises her eyebrows in shock at the statement. She’s not exactly used to having someone defend her. 

Dr. Whale smirks while walking towards the bed, “I’m sure you were and normally I would applaud you for it, but I have doctor patient responsibility here” 

Emma steps to the side to block him from getting to Regina and forcefully states, “I did not hurt her. I’m helping” 

He laughs, “Quit with the charade already,” he turns to her father, “can you please get your daughter under control?” 

David puffs his chest, “If she says that she was helping then she was helping” 

Emma looks at her father in admiration. Having people actually believe her is still a foreign concept to her. 

Dr. Whale sighs, “You too?”. He’s met with two very similar glares. 

He throws his hands up, “Okay, okay, fine. Just explain how”. 

Whale and David both turn to Emma looking for answers. Regina quickly closes her eyes again as they now turn their attention to her. 

Emma points to the lightened injury on Regina’s temple, “Look, I used magic and now this has started to heal quicker” 

Whale has to admit that she is right. She does look much better than the last time he checked on her. He concludes, “Okay, you’re right, but you should not trespass in another patient’s room. And you should absolutely not decide you can leave before you’ve been cleared” 

Emma rolls her eyes, “I’m fine, Doc” 

He scoffs, “You know I’m actually a real doctor unlike the dwarf. Please go back to your room”. 

“Okay, but just give me a minute. You know I can keep helping her,” she challenges. 

David stares down Whale before he can continue to argue. 

“Five minutes” 

Emma nods while David slaps a hand on Whale’s back and they head out of the room. 

Before Emma can even turn around she hears that voice she’s almost come miss over the past day, “Miss Swan, what are you doing?” 

Emma smirks like she should’ve known she wasn’t asleep this whole time, “How long have you been awake?” 

“Long enough,” Regina’s eyes are softer than she’s used to. 

Emma steps closer until she’s standing right over the other woman. She extends a hand and says, “May I help?” like she’s the expert in the room rather than the other way around. Regina’s not exactly in shock anymore about Emma’s magic, but she does know the only way this works without a hinge for a novice is if…well there’s some sort of emotion here. She used to think the emotion between them was dislike or even hate, but now this feels different. 

Emma proceeds and white light begins to heal Regina’s injuries. After several minutes Regina claims she’s feeling better and the blonde stops. The silence in the room feels too much, so Emma picks up the card on the nearby table. 

She hands it to Regina saying, “This is from Henry”. 

Regina looks at this one card with the joy of if she had a million get well sentiments. She traces her finger over Henry’s signature. 

“He’s been with my parents by the way. I know you’d want to know”. 

Regina chuckles, “Of course. By the time I see him again he’ll truly be a Charming. Swinging swords and fighting evil,” she points to herself, “Me”. 

Emma frowns and tries to argue against it, but Regina ends with, “Save it”. 

Another moment of silence passes before Emma starts again, “I’ll make sure they bring him by again soon. I promise”. 

Regina takes a breath holding back her usual overtly argumentative statements and takes on a more defeated tone, “Emma I appreciate what you’re doing, but don’t make promises you can’t keep”. 

Regina looks into Emma’s eyes and Emma sees her sadness. She sees her. 

“I’ll make sure of it, Regina. I’ll make more time for you to spend with him”. 

Regina nods and Emma shows a small smile before turning around to head back to her room. They’re probably about ready to bust in the door to find her again already. 

“Emma, wait” 

The blonde turns around and is met with a woman who is trying. She’s really fucking trying. 

“Thank you for understanding and for everything. You didn’t have to do all of this”. 

Emma shows her acceptance in a simple smile as she turns to leave the room again. 


End file.
